Invincible
by NZea
Summary: The story of two girls living in NYC in 1900. One is a wealthy debutante with a sad family history, and the other is a newsie with a haunted past. Despite all their differences, they have more in common than they know. Please R/R (Bad summary, I know)
1. Memories

**Invincible**

**By Zea**

Chapter One

Memories

Anna had never met her oldest sister, Maia, the one everyone loved so much. 

Sure, she had heard the stories, but it just wasn't the same. Hearing about her beautiful hair and eyes just wasn't the same as seeing them, or even remembering them. The only memory she could come up with was a gentle voice, singing a soft, beautiful lullaby. And she couldn't even be sure that was Maia. 

It had all started when Anna's mother was pregnant with John, and Anna was one year old. That was when her parents decided to move. She was much too young to remember the speech her father gave, but Mollie told her he spoke of how the slums of New York in 1890 was no place for young children to grow up. Maia had gone to work in the factories a year before, at the youngest age they would allow -- seven. Which meant that Mollie would go next year. Plus, Jacob and Anna were sickly, and the doctor said the best cure would be fresh, clean country air. So that was that. The Sheltons were off to Santa Fe, New Mexico, to take up farming. 

Her mother and father later realized that Maia must have been making dinner when the day of departure was announced. So, on that fateful day, Maia rose with the sun as usual and left for work. God knows how, but everyone just assumed that she was helping someone else someplace else. It wasn't until all the family was on the train and leaving New York City behind that they discovered their error. 

Jacob wasn't feeling well, and was looking for comfort. His parents shooed him away, telling him to go find Maia. He searched all throughout their railroad car, finally coming to the conclusion that she just wasn't there. So, Jacob promptly went to his parents and informed them of his discovery. At which point Mary Shelton went into labor with her sixth child. 

Anna's family was devastated, but they lacked the money to return to New York. So they decided to stay in Santa Fe, but just for a couple of months, until they had enough money to go back to New York. 

Those few months turned into a year, then that year into two, and so on until they had lived eight years in Santa Fe and gained two new family members. 

Then, at the end of that eighth year, something amazing happened. Anna's grandfather died. And he left them a fortune no one knew he possessed. 

Her parents, of course, were furious that he had kept his wealth from them, knowing their need, but their anger quickly vanished in wake of the joy they felt at being able to return to New York after nine years. 

But the joy was not mutual. It had been nine years, after all, and many things had changed. For one, Anna's parents had kept in close contact with the authorities in New York, who had searched earnestly for Maia, and not found her. At this time, they said, there was about a one in a million chance that she was still alive. But Mr. and Mrs. Shelton didn't care. They just wanted to go back to New York; back to the familiar. 

But to the children, it wasn't so familiar. They like their lives just the way they were. Mollie was now fifteen, and had recently started courting Tom, who lived two farms down. Adam was fourteen, and such a hand with horses. They loved his quiet demeanor, and he loved theirs. Jacob was twelve, and almost the exact opposite of Adam. He loved hunting whatever came in range of his gun. 

Anna herself was ten, and loved everything about her life and home. She loved waking before the sun to milk the cows, their breath steaming in the cool air as she leaned against their warms sides and gathered the milk for the day. She loved running her horse, Ivy, bareback in the far fields in the evening, and watching the sun set, in hues of orange, red, purple, and pink. She loved going to bed listening to Mollie's stories of Maia and her parents and knowing that she would wake up in the morning in the place that she loved best. 

John was nine and had lived his whole life in Santa Fe; he knew no other home. The same was true with Jillian and David, who were seven and five respectively. 

But of course, in the end, Anna's parents had the final say. 

So here they were, back in good old New York City. Anna's initial reaction had been disgust. The streets were clogged with carriages and people, with vendors parading their wares. The air was thick with the stench of hundreds of different kinds of food being sold all at the same time. But soon enough, they had moved on into the upper class section of the city. The houses were large and well cared for, and spaced evenly. The Shelton's new house was three stories high, and right in the middle of Madison Avenue and 57th Street. It was Victorian style, with balconies protruding from the many windows. The outside was dark brown, with cream colored trim. The front doors were huge and ornate, with brass fittings and a placard that announced that the Sheltons lived here. 

The inside of the house was even more awe-inspiring. The furniture had already arrived, and the house had been cleaned to perfection by their servant staff of ten. The solid oak floors had been polished to a mirror-like shine, and were covered in some places with thick, plush carpets. All the furniture was solid and comfortable. And in the parlor, there was a baby grand piano, the epitome of beauty. 

There was the master bedroom, furnished like a palace, and there were five other bedrooms -- four for the children, and one guest room. Mollie, being the oldest girl, got her own room, which was connected to the next room down -- Anna and Jillian's. Across the hall was the room Adam and Jacob shared, and next to that was David and John's. 

The children's new wardrobes had already been unpacked, and an outfit laid out for them. Anna's dress was a pale pink silk that rustled when she walked and made her feel like a princess. Mollie's dress was a deep red, that set off the red highlights in her dark brown curls. Jillian wore a flouncy, lacy pale blue dress that matched well with her light brown hair and eyes. Then Adam and Jacob wore long pants and suit jackets, while John and David were dressed in knickers Their parents looked equally elegant in their silk and satin. 

The neighborhood was a wealthy one, but the Shelton's seemed to be the wealthiest. So, naturally, they were well-greeted. 

The first time there was a knock on the door, it was Anna who answered. In her new clothes and home, she felt like a queen welcoming guests into her castle. 

She opened the door to a well-dressed family of four. The parents seemed to be the same age as hers, and dressed in "casual" clothing, which was still ten times better that what she was used to. 

The girl looked to be about Anna's age, and the boy about Jillian's. They both had dark curls and eyes, in contrast to Anna's own straight blond hair and light brown eyes. 

"_Hello_ dear!" the mother crooned. "_Welcome_ to our _humble_ neighborhood." 

The woman seemed to enjoy dramatizing her speech, so Anna just ignored the humble comment and invited them in, as her mother gracefully descended the stairs and swept the adults away, saying something to Anna about entertaining her guests. 

Anna stood awkwardly next to the two children, who were obviously more experienced at this sort of thing than Anna. 

"Hello," the girl said cheerily, sticking out her hand. "I'm Gabriella, but please just call me Ella. Only grown-ups call me Gabriella. And this is my brother Dominic. Or Dom." 

"Hello," Anna said shyly, intimidated by the girl's energy and New York accent. She herself had a bit of a southern twang to her speech, while Ella's voice sounded nasal and abrupt. 

"Do you have any brothers or sisters?" Ella asked. 

"Yes," Anna replied, having found her voice. "I've got six." 

"Six?!" The girl exclaimed, clearly amazed. "That's great!" 

"I suppose," Anna answered thoughtfully. 

"Do you have any Dom's age, so he can play with them? He's seven and a half." 

"Well, Jilly's seven," Anna said. "I'll get her." 

As soon as Jill and Dom had been introduced, Ella and Anna had retreated to Anna's bedroom to talk. 

"I love your voice," Ella was saying. "Where are you from?" 

Anna blushed slightly. "Santa Fe." 

"Then what're you doing here?" 

"We lived here until I was one, then we moved, so I guess my parents just missed it." Anna wasn't quite ready to tell Ella about Maia, and the fact that their prior home in New York was located in the slums. 

"Well, I'm _so_ glad you're here. Everyone in this neighborhood is so stuffy. Everyone's always trying to be richer than everyone else. I hate it," she stated bluntly. 

"Oh," Anna said, for lack of a better response. 

"Do you like horses?" Ella inquired. 

"Oh, I love them!" Anna said passionately. "So does my older brother, Adam. He's fourteen." 

"Great! I'll have to take you down to Sheepshead. It's a racetrack," she said, correctly interpreting Anna's quizzical look. 

"Oh, I just _knew_, when I first saw you, that we could be best friends," Ella said excitedly. 

In spite of herself, Anna grinned. It was exactly what she wanted. 

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Well, what do you think? I just found this story on my desktop that I started forever-ago, and I decided I should post it just for fun. There's another chapter already done, but I'm just doing some last minute editing (and deciding on someone's name!!) If you wanna see more of this, please let me know. 

By the way, to the 2 people to give me my first reviews, Dreamy-Ice and ramblingsofcrazywomen, thank you so much!! They meant so much to me!! 

I love you all! 

-Zea 


	2. Tricks of the Trade

** Invincible**

** By Zea**

Chapter Two

Tricks of the Trade

Not far away, in Central Park, two lone figures sat on a secluded bench, resting out of reach of the strong wind. They were dressed in ragged clothes: their pants were worn, their shirts were patched, and their boots were scuffed. One wore red suspenders, the other blue. They both wore cloth cabby hats and had stacks of newspapers at their feet. 

They were the newsboys of New York, better known as newsies. They peddled the newspapers on the streets for a penny a piece. They supported themselves, and had to make enough money to eat each day, and buy more papers the next. They were common in most parts of town -- and looked down on by most of society. They were known to be poor runaways who indulged the few cents they earned in gambling, betting, and drinking. 

Just a few weeks ago, the newsie strike had ended. The newspaper tycoons, Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst had raised the price of papers from fifty cents per hundred to sixty. All the newsies in all of New York banded together to fight the price jump, and they were successful. They didn't change the price, but they could sell back any papers they didn't sell and be reimbursed. The strike had given them attention at the time, but the media coverage had ended as quickly as it began. Now they were back to being the outcasts of society, forced to live on the streets, or in one of the lodging houses made for them. 

This particular pair was finished with their rest, but seemed to be having a hard time selling their papers. Finally the one with blue suspenders said, "It ain't woikin', Tiger. We gotta go fer sympathy." 

His companion sighed, but said, "Dat's da t'ird time dis week. Don't anybody want papes no more?" 

With that, the newsie took off his hat, and a long blond braid fell down his back, revealing the figure as one of the few girl newsies. She undid her braid, and let her curls fall loosely past her shoulders. She then pulled a red bandana out of her pocket and tied it around her head like a headband. 

Meanwhile, the boy dropped most of their papers behind the bench, out of sight to the passerby. He then laid down on the bench and closed his eyes. 

Soon enough, a wealthy couple strolled by, arm in arm. The girl named Tiger ran up to them, and began her sympathy act. 

"Please sir," she said desperately, suddenly Irish. "Buy me last pape?" 

At this moment, the boy began to cough. It was a hacking cough, enough to shake him and the bench considerably. The girl turned around and gasped. 

"Oh, Petey, don't you worry, we'll get you to a doctor. Just you wait, I'll just sell a few more papers." 

The wealthy woman looked down on the girl with kindness in her eyes. "What's your name, honey?" she asked in a well-mannered, educated voice. 

Tiger looked down pitifully. "It's Megan, mum." 

"And who is that?" the woman inquired, pointing towards the bench where the boy rested weakly. 

"That's me brother, mum. He's sick in the lungs." 

"Oh, poor dear!" the woman exclaimed. "Of course we'll buy your last paper. Here," she said, fishing into her purse, "take a dime for it." 

The girl smiled, saying "Thank ye kindly, miss." 

"You're welcome, you sweet little thing, you. Now you run home to your mother and tell her to get something for that cough." 

"Megan" let the smile fade from her face, looking down sadly again. "Me mum isn't with us any more, miss. She went down with the cough last year. It's just me and Petey since." 

The woman gasped. "Oh, poor girl, you just take these quarters, then, and get your brother to a doctor, and you get yourself something to eat." She smiled, obviously pleased at her own show of goodwill. "Run along, now." 

Tiger let a smile break full on her face, and said "Thank ye again, miss. God bless ye." 

The woman smiled down on the girl in a motherly way, then, taking her companion's arm, they continued their stroll. 

As soon as the couple was out of ear shot, the two newsies broke out into raucous laughter. 

"Dey gets more an' more gullible ev'ry day," the boy said between chuckles. 

"Good acting, Ash. I almost t'ought you was dying, meself." 

He laughed. "And da same to you, Tiger." He then stood up, and stuck out his arm. In a rich, educated voice, he said, "My dear Tiger, would you care to accompany me to lunch?" 

And, in an equally rich manner, Tiger replied, "It would be my pleasure, my dear sir." 

And with that, they set off down the path, as dignified as the richest people in New York City. 

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Well............... Chapter Two. Yeah. Anyway, if anyone is actually reading this, could you please review? Please? I didn't get any reviews last chapter, and I'm feeling slightly neglected........ Anyway, enough whining. Feedback please! Ha. Ha ha ha. All righty...... 

Toodles! 

-Zea 


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